HC Deb 23 May 1985 vol 79 cc537-8W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the basic retirement pension, in £ sterling, and the basic rate of unemployment benefit in each of the EEC countries; and if he will express the figures in each case as a percentage of the national average wage.

Mr. Whitney

For the first part of his question I refer the hon. Member to sections IV and VII of the Department's publication, "Tables of Social Benefit Systems in the Member States of the European Communities, Portugal and Spain, (position at 1 January 1984)", a copy of which is in the Library. As to the second part of the hon. Member's question, the data available do not allow reliable comparisons with the national average wage in each member State of the European Community.